A stroke rehabilitation system is a good tool for a stroke patient to do limb rehabilitation exercises.
The existing stroke rehabilitation system may usually include a host controller, a video camera, a display device and passive markers. The display device may display guidance for a limb rehabilitation exercise prescribed by doctors and/or therapists. The passive markers are worn on hands, elbows and shoulders of the stroke patient. When the stroke patient wearing the passive markers on hands, elbows and shoulders does limb rehabilitation exercises according to the guidance being displayed on the display device, the video camera may pick up images of the patient, and the host controller may perform image processing on the images picked up by the video camera to detect the markers worn by the patient, and present the detected markers as pointers on the display device. The host controller may calculate a trajectory performed by the patient, based on trajectories of the detected markers, and compare the calculated trajectory with a medical exercise template to give an evaluation of the training quality.
With the existing stroke rehabilitation system, user interaction needs to be carefully designed since the patient usually has an upper limb impairment on one side of the body. The use of an infrared remote controller in the existing stroke rehabilitation system is a feasible solution since the patient usually has an unimpaired upper limb on the other side of the body.
However, there are some inconvenience attached to this solution. The patient needs to hold the remote controller when control is needed, and the remote controller has to be placed somewhere when the patient is doing his training exercises. Usually the patient should keep a standing position or sits in a wheelchair in an open area without a desk or table by his side, so that the patient will find there is no place to put down the remote controller.